What are Natural Resources

Natural resources are the

material which gifted by
nature, and we use them as
resources in our day to day
life. Thus mining, petroleum
extraction, fishing, hunting,
and forestry are generally
considered as natural-
resource industries.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Natural resources play a
significant part in our lives. It
will be really difficult to
imagine the world without the
natural resources. The globe
without natural resources will
be the as the globe without
nature. The resources not only
add to our lives, they serve the
realm of progress.
NATURAL RESOURCES ARE OF
TWO TYPES :-
RENEWABLE NATURAL NON-RENEWABLE NATURAL
RESOURCE RESOURCE

• Those resources which • Those resources which

can be replenished in a cannot be replenished
short period of time like in a short period of
air, water, sunlight, time like minerals
forests etc. (coal, petroleum,
natural gas, metals etc.)
because they take
millions of years to be
formed.
 CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES
• As the human population is continuously growing the
consumption of natural resources is also increasing. With
the increasing industrialization and urbanization of the
modern human society, the use of all the resources is rising.
If they are not properly used and well managed, a serious
scarcity will result. Therefore we need to conserve the
natural resources. This will also upset the ecological
balance.
• Conservation is the proper management of a natural
resource to prevent its exploitation, destruction or
degradation.
• Conservation is the sum total of activities, which can derive
benefits from natural resources but at the same time prevent
excessive use leading to destruction or degradation.
 Need for Conservation of Natural
Resources
• We know that nature provides us all our basic needs but we
tend to overexploit it. If we go on exploiting the nature,
there will be no more resources available in future.

• There is an urgent need to conserve the nature. Some of the

needs are :

 to maintain ecological balance for supporting life.

 to preserve different kinds of species (biodiversity).
 to make the resources available for present and future
generation.
 to ensure the survival of human race.
 Conservation of Natural Resources and
Traditions of India

• The need for conservation of natural resources was felt by our predecessors and in India,
there was a tradition of respecting and preserving the nature and natural resources.
Natural resources were conserved in the form of sacred groves/forests, sacred pools and
lakes, sacred species etc. In our country the conservation of natural forests is known from
the time of Lord Asoka. Sacred forests are forest patches of different dimensions dedicated
by the tribal to their deities and ancestral spirits. Cutting down trees, hunting and other
human interferences were strictly prohibited in these forests. This practice is wide spread
particularly in peninsular, central and eastern India and has resulted in the protection of a
large number of plants and animals and. Similarly, several water bodies, e.g., Khecheopalri
lake in Sikkim was declared sacred by people, thus, protecting aquatic flora and fauna.
Worshipping certain plants like banyan, peepal, tulsi etc. has not only preserved them but
also encouraged us for their plantation. History recalls numerous instances where people
have laid down their lives in protecting the trees.
• Recent Chipko movement in India is one of the best examples. This movement was
• started by the women in Gopeshwar village in Garhwal in the Himalayas. They
• stopped the felling of trees by hugging them when the lumbermen arrived to cut
• them. This saved about 12000 square kilometers of the sensitive water catchment
• area. Similar movements also occurred in some other parts of the country.
 Conservation of Soil

• In the previous section we learnt about the various causes of soil erosion.
Soil loses its fertility due to erosion. So we need to conserve the soil. Soil
conservation means checking soil erosion and improving soil fertility by
adopting various methods. Let us know some of these methods.
• 1. Maintenance of soil fertility: The fertility can be maintained by adding
manure and fertilizers regularly as well as by rotation of crop.
• 2. Control on grazing: Grazing should be allowed only on the areas meant
for it and not on agricultural land.
• 3. Reforestation: Planting of trees and vegetation reduces soil erosion by
both water and wind.
• 4. Terracing: Dividing a slope into several flat fields to control rapid run
of water. It is practiced mostly in hilly areas.
• 5. Contour ploughing: Ploughing at right angles to the slope allows the
furrows to trap water and check soil erosion by rain water.
 Conservation of Water

Conservation and management of water are essential for the

survival of mankind, plants and animals. This can be achieved
adopting the following methods:
1. Growing vegetation in the catchment areas, which will hold
water in the soil and allow it to percolate into deeper layers and
contribute to formation of ground water.
2. Constructing dams and reservoirs to regulate supply of water to
the fields, as well as to enable generating hydroelectricity.
3. Sewage should be treated and only the clear water should be
released into the rivers.
4. Industrial wastes (effluents) should be treated to prevent
chemical and thermal pollution of fresh water.
5. Judicious use of water in our day-to-day life.
6. Rainwater harvesting should be done by storing rainwater and
recharging groundwater.
Different methods of water harvesting
 Conservation of Biodiversity
Now you have an idea of the importance of biodiversity for our
survival and how it is destroyed. Let us know how to protect the
biodiversity. There are two basic strategies for conservation of
biodiversity:
(i) In-situ conservation
(ii) Ex-situ conservation
(i) In-situ (on site) conservation includes the protection of plants and
animals
within their natural habitats or in protected areas. Protected areas are
areas of land or sea dedicated to protection and maintenance of
biodiversity. For example: e.g., National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries,
Biosphere Reserves, etc.
(ii) Ex-situ (off site) conservation is the conservation of plants and
animals outside their natural habitats. These include Botanical
Gardens, Zoo, Gene Banks, DNA Banks, Seed Banks, Pollen Banks,
Seedling and Tissue Culture etc.
 Conservation of Forests
Forests is an important part of the environment, because
trees clean the air and keep the atmosphere cool. We
cannot live without plants, because the oxygen need for
breathing is produced by plants.
Trees absorb sunlight and reduce the heat. Plants provide
fodder for animals, firewood, timber, medicines, honey,
wax, gum, lac and food for us. Tree roots penetrate deep
into the soil and from cavities in the ground. The dry leaves
which fall on ground, cover the soil and absorb more rain
water, which slowly percolates through the soil. Thus, a
large portion of the rain water can be retained in the field,
by planting more trees. Flooding or rivers can be prevented
by protecting trees in the forest.
For the conservation of forests, following methods can be taken:

• (a) Conservation of forest is a national problem so it must be tackled with

perfect coordination between forest department and other departments.
• (b) People's participation in the conservation of forests is of vital
importance. So, we must get them involved in this national task.
• (c) The cutting of trees in the forests must be stopped at all costs.
• (d) Afforestation or special programmes like Van Mahotsava should be
launched on grand scale.
• (e) Celebrations of all functions, festivals should precede with tree-
plantation.
• (f) Cutting of timber and other forest produce should be restricted.
• (g) Grasslands should be regenerated.
• (h) Forest conservation Act 1980 should be strictly implemented to check
deforestation.
• (i) Several centres of excellence have been setup and awards should be
instituted.
LEGISLATION FOR CONSERVATION
Various acts and laws have been passed in
Indian constitution for conservation of
natural resources. Some of them are:
 Environment Protection Act, 1986
 Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
 National Forest Policy, 1988
 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and amended
in 1991
 What is Environment?
Our Environment is our surrounding. This includes living and
non-living things around us. The non-living components of
environment are land, water and air. The living components
are germs, plants, animals and people. All plants and animals
adjust to the environment in which they are born and live. A
charge in any component of the environment may cause
discomfort and affect normal life. Any unfavorable change or
degeneration in the environment is known as ‘Environmental
Pollution.
We need to protect our environment to live happily.
 How to Maintain a Good Environment?
For better environment, all its components should be
protected from pollution and the surroundings should
be clean. We need to take good care of our land, water
resources, forests and atmosphere . it is also necessary
to ensure a balance between these resources and living
creatures, to meet our needs.
We can protect
our environment
in many ways.
Let us act now
and persuade
others to join us.
This will ensure
safety for our
future
generations.